James Travers

General James Travers (6 October 1820 – 1 April 1884) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Military background James Travers was born and grew up in County Cork, where the first of his ancestors to be born there, Sir Robert Travers, was killed at the Battle of Knocknanuss in 1647. Travers came from a distinguished Anglo-Irish military family, and all seven of his brothers (three of whom were killed in India) served in the armed forces. They were the sons of Major-General Sir Robert Travers KCMG, CB (1770–1834) of the 95th Rifle Brigade, who was one of six brothers who themselves all served in the military, and one of three to be knighted for their services, including Rear-Admiral Sir Eaton Stannard Travers, who engaged in battle upwards of one hundred times, and was mentioned in dispatches eight times for gallantry. Military career James Travers was educated at Addiscombe Military Seminary. He received a commission in the Bengal infantry in June 1838 and arrived in Calcutta in January 1839. He served with the 57th native infantry at Barrackpore and then the 2nd Bengal Native Infantry at Firozpur. He served with this regiment in the First Anglo-Afghan War between 1841 and 1842, being mentioned in despatches for the action at Zamin-Dawar; was at the capture of Ghazni and the action at Maidan.